The Shelby County Commission delayed a vote Monday on allocating $1.3 million for a new Shelby County Juvenile Detention Center after several commissioners raised concerns they were moving too fast on the project.

Saturday, Shelby County Commissioner Mickell Lowery conducted a town hall meeting at Stax Music Academy to both update members of the community on the focus areas of the County Commission and answer specific concerns from citizens.

Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer says the discussion over Shelby County Juvenile Court must change from the “good guys” who work at the court to the systems in place that have led to calls for serious reform.

Shelby County Commissioners reiterated more reforms are needed at Shelby County Juvenile Court after discussing a Department of Justice monitor’s report that concluded the agency is “deeply flawed” and enables “a culture of intimidation” in due process procedures.

Shelby County Commissioners is expected to decide whether to recommend a $1.3 million down payment for a new $25 million Shelby County Juvenile Detention Center at its first committee session of 2019 on Wednesday.

Increasing the percentage of minority- and women-owned business contracts with Shelby County government will be a top priority for several commissioners when the County Commission reconvenes this month.

Shelby County officials hope a new pilot program beginning in 2019 can divert thousands of youth with low-level offenses from Shelby County Juvenile Court as they attempt to reform the criminal justice system.

Memphis City Council members Patrice Robinson and Worth Morgan join us to talk about the council's three vacant seats. Plus: Union Row gets a thumbs-up from the County Commission and sports betting could be coming to Tennessee.

Four Shelby County Commissioners wrote a letter to Gov. Bill Haslam urging him to grant clemency for 30-year-old Cyntoia Brown, who is currently serving a 51-year prison sentence for killing a man when she was 16.

The Shelby County Commission voted to authorize a 30-year, $100 million tax increment financing district for phase I of the $950 million Union Row development Monday, despite a request from Mayor Lee Harris and two county commissioners to delay the vote.

With the Shelby County Commission set to vote on approving a 30-year, $100 million tax increment financing district for Phase I of the $950 million Union Row development Monday, Mayor Lee Harris said he is uncomfortable with the lack of vetting done on the project in county government.

Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dorsey Hopson outlined his school consolidation plan to the Shelby County Commission’s education committee Wednesday – which includes 28 school closures, 10 new schools and could cost the district at least $700 million.

A Shelby County Commission committee is recommending the creation of a tax increment financing district to fund public infrastructure for the $950 million Union Row project, though two commissioners expressed concerns about minority- and women-owned business involvement and gentrification.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris is scrapping the previous administration’s multimillion-dollar sewage plan for unincorporated parts of the county – citing concerns the new system would not be cost-effective and could lead to outmigration and urban sprawl.

The Shelby County Commission approved adding five items to its legislative agenda Monday night – including a request the state fund more school resource officers, social workers and counselors in local schools.

November 2018

Moves to begin the process of appointing an interim state senator for District 32 and to recommend changes to the Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE) were deferred at Shelby County Commission committee meetings Wednesday.

A memorandum of understanding that will result in more than 300 temporary workers in county government being paid at least $15 an hour will be finalized by the end of the year, according to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris.

The Shelby County Commission approved the food services contract between the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Aramark Correctional Services for its three correctional facilities – despite several commissioners and competing vendor CBM Managed Services asking that the contract be rebid.

A dispute between two potential vendors for a food management services contract from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office for its three correctional facilities was reignited at the Shelby County Commission’s committee meeting Wednesday afternoon.

The Memphis Police Association is advising police officers not to talk to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation when the state agency is investigating officer-involved shootings, the TBI was told Sunday. The advice includes police officers who witnessed shootings but are not involved.

A Shelby County Commission committee recommended approving a resolution to rescind former Mayor Mark Luttrell’s second letter to end Department of Justice oversight of Juvenile Court Wednesday, but not all committee members agreed.

September 2018

The Shelby County Commission hopes its vote Monday to create an education liaison position will help fix communication issues between the body and the seven municipal school districts in Shelby County – particularly Shelby County Schools.

Two days after Martavious Banks was critically wounded by a Memphis police officer in a shooting, protesters stood on the sidewalk at the entrance to the Airways police precinct calling for justice Wednesday night. About 50 protesters, some with bullhorns and carrying signs that read, “We have our cameras on," arrived shortly before 7 p.m. to the “Citywide Protest” organized by Memphis activist, Mac Freddie.

At the end of Wednesday’s committee meeting, Turner sponsored a resolution that would reverse Luttrell’s second request to end DOJ oversight of Juvenile Court. Commissioner Brandon Morrison asked to defer the resolution to have more time to study the letter, which Turner granted. The commission will revisit the resolution at its next committee meeting Oct. 3.

As a new chapter in Shelby County government is being written, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and the County Commission have an opportunity to improve the strained relationship between the two branches of government.

The 13-member Shelby County Commission has entered a new four-year term with eight new faces. Those new commissioners soon will have to make key decisions while, at the same time, learning about the ins and outs of county government.